The Cincinnati Bengals and Tee Higgins have reached a bit of an impasse.
The team placed the star wide receiver under the franchise tag, pretty much forcing him to stay for another season.
Higgins then requested to be traded, but he was disappointed in the fact that the organization didn’t reach out to him to discuss a contract extension.
Nonetheless, the Bengals have seemed reluctant to comply with his request, and that’s not likely to change any time soon.
According to a report by Bengals beat writer Kelsey Conway, EVP Katie Blackburn said that the team won’t entertain the idea of moving on from him, and they’ll look to get through the season and then assess where they are.
“The plan is to certainly get through this year. Our job is to get to these next phases start looking at the whole overall roster and see how we can fit everything together. We’ll see how it all comes out,” Blackburn said.
#Bengals EVP Katie Blackburn on what the future in Cincinnati looks like for WR Tee Higgins:
"The plan is to certainly get through this year. Our job is to get to these next phases start looking at the whole overall roster and see how we can fit everything together. We'll see…
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) March 27, 2024
Of course, that could be a risky move.
Not only does having a disgruntled player likely cause a problem in the locker room, but their chances of keeping him in the upcoming offseason could get slimmer.
They have to save every single dime they can to sign fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase to a record-setting contract extension, and they would have to pay Higgins a bunch more money if they were to franchise-tag him again next season.
As of now, it seems like they either need to figure out a way to sign him to a contract extension or trade him to the highest bidder, as tough as that might be for their explosive and prolific passing game.
Otherwise, they risk losing him without getting absolutely anything in return.
NEXT: Zack Moss Reveals Why He Chose Bengals Over Cowboys In Free Agency